MET 16 - Content analysis

Question 1

What is content analysis?

Answer 1

A research technique that enables the indirect study of behaviour by examining communications that people produce, for example, in texts, emails, TV, films and other media

Question 2

What is coding in content analysis?

Answer 2

The stage of a content analysis in which the communication to be studies is analysed by identifying each instance of the chosen categories (which may be words, sentences, phrases etc)

Question 3

What are the strengths of content analysis?

Answer 3

• It is ethical
• It is fairly quick and easy, not overly time consuming
• Can be used for comparison
• Flexible
• High reliability

Question 4

How is content analysis ethical?

Answer 4

• Content analysis is useful in that in can circumnavigate (get around) many ethical issues normally associated with psychological research
• Much of the material that an analyst might want to study, such as TV adverts, films, personal ads in the newspaper or on the internet, etc, may already exist within the public domain
• Thus, there are no issues with obtaining permission
• Such communications have the benefit of being high in external validity, and may access data of a sensitive nature provided the ‘authors’ consent to its use

Question 5

How can content analysis be used for comparison?

Answer 5

Data from a content analysis can be compared to other studies, especially when using a structured, deductive approach with pre-defined codes

Question 6

How is content analysis flexible?

Answer 6

Content analysis is flexible in the sense that it may produce both qualitative and quantitative data depending on the aims of the research

Question 7

How does content analysis have high reliability?

Answer 7

It can have high reliability because the process is standardised, and steps are taken to increase the reliability, e.g. the analysis of two or more observers is compared

Question 8

What are the limitations of content analysis

Answer 8

• Data produced has no context
• May be subjective/biased

Question 9

How does data produced by content analysis have no context

Answer 9

• The context of the data is usually cut out, which can lead to misinterpretation and reduce the validity of the results
• People tend to be studied indirectly as part of content analysis so the communications they produce are usually analysed outside of the context within which it occurred

Question 10

How might content analysis be subjective/biased?

Answer 10

• It is challenging to remain objective in this method
• There is an increased risk that the researcher’s bias will influence the analysis, affecting the validity of the results
• Many modern analysts are clear about how their own biases and preconceptions influence the research process, and often make reference to these as part of their final report
• However, content analysis may still suffer from a lack of objectivity, especially when more descriptive forms of thematic analysis are employed
• Researchers may actively try to find specific content and neglect or ignore other content in the hope of searching for relevant content